Netflix’s Maniac: Junji Ito’s work becomes a terrifying anime

Man experiences dreams like they are lasting thousands of years. Eventually, he eventually dies from dehydration and collapses in bed. The flesh of insects and sea creatures, as well as humans, is used to power the insectoid mechanical limbs. People from all over feel an inexplicable compulsion to enter human-shaped crevasses that appear in a cliffside, and when they emerge from the other end… Well, that’s become the stuff of internet lore.

Junji Ito’s horror illustrations are some of his most timeless. His work became a popular figure in manga and was quickly shared on social media platforms like Reddit or Imgur. Since years, his various series and collections have been being translated into English and published in the U.S. with a steady and rapid pace. This has given him an even greater exposure. Netflix has now released an anime anthology series, which features segments that are based on one his stories. Unfortunately, Junji Ito Maniac – Japanese Tales of the Macabre This adaptation is every bit as awkward as its name suggests.

I can’t recommend Maniac on any of its own merits, because it has none — anything worthwhile about the show comes directly from Ito’s ideas and imagery. It is a fascinating case study that demonstrates the greatness of adaptation. This anime exactingly and faithfully replicates Ito’s stories, often to the point of precisely reproducing his panels in many shots. I found it very easy to read the original manga while watching and used it as a guideline for my next episode. So why are stories like “Hanging Balloon” or “Whispering Woman” so terrifying to read but not nearly as involving to watch?

It is not the amount of work required for each medium that’s the problem. Ito is admired by fans for his appreciably fucked-up imagination, but there’s more to his illustrations than how creatively he can render monsters and awful body contortions. Even if he wasn’t a horror artist, his work would be impressive for his intricacy. This is especially evident when he goes beyond horror. His pictures are layered with many small, often gross details which give them weight and an uncomfortable verisimilitude. Whether he’s drawing something slick with fluids, jagged and rough, or crusted in grime, you can nearly feel it under your fingertips, and then you’ll shudder even more.

Image: Junji Ito/Viz Media

Image: Studio DEEN/Netflix

Studio DEEN, on the other hand, adopts a more generic and often sterile style. It makes what’s technically the same imagery much less vivid. There’s a moment in “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings” when one of the titular siblings vomits up ectoplasm during a seance. Ito draws the stuff to look so viscerally revolting that I gagged slightly the first time I read the story; in the anime it’s oddly smooth and clean. Ito’s art is immediately recognizable not just for his signature character design but even his way of drawing stains or shadows. Many stills of this anime show could have been taken from other anime.

As another example, take “The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel,” one of my favorite Itos. This story is about an abandoned train tunnel which attracts hapless individuals who then become engulfed in the walls and floor. In the final scene, several characters try to escape from the tunnel. Most of them succeed, screaming as the tunnel merges into their bodies. Every brick in the manga is richly texture, with the floor’s stippling drawings almost making it appear animated, as though the characters are being eaten. One man’s face is a mask of torment — his eyes gape, with dark circles under them emphasizing his terror, while his mouth is slack-jawed. Ito pencils with deep wrinkles, sweat beads and a smudge are available. The guy is Fucked It is obvious to him, so he pleads for help. In the anime, the man… looks mildly perturbed and confused as he sort of slides into the floor via a haphazardly composited visual effect. It has a completely different impact.

The transition from manga to anime, which is black and white, can lead to a loss in detail. One could make a case for Ito as the best contemporary comic book artist working in black and white; he’s a master of shading and especially contrast. H.R. Giger can sometimes be seen as chiaroscuro, just like Edward Gorey crossed with H.R. But that’s a tricky element to incorporate in a moving image that you still want to be legible, and consequently the anime is literally brighter than Ito’s art — which in turn dampens the atmospheric dread. Even Ito’s less impressive stories can contain notable images and effectively creep out the reader. You can find so many of Maniac Goes through motions, but without the right attitude.

Image: Studio DEEN/Netflix

DEEN stands for the same studio that is behind Junji Ito Collection, the previous anime anthology adapting some of Ito’s shorts, and all the issues I delve into here were already present there. ShinobuTagashira (director) and Kaorusawada (writer), are both back from the earlier series. It’s disheartening to continue to see treatments of Ito’s work that feel more like cash-grabs based on his “brand” recognition than true attempts to convey his spirit. “Hanging Balloon,” one of his most popular stories, is tanked by the fact that the titular beings are jankily rendered CGI effects, awkwardly juxtaposed with the civilians they’re hunting rather than inspiring terror.

These problems aren’t unique to the show. They are symptoms of widespread issues in anime production, which is prone to rushed and cheap work. It’s just particularly noticeable when this kind of low-effort approach meets the output of such a beloved creator. For horror films, this is particularly evident because they rely on rhythm and framing to get the appropriate response. However, Maniac The animation is flat, repetitive, monotonous, and poorly acted. Ito could spend hours on one page alone. Ito can do any adaptation without additional care.

An encouraging contrast is the forthcoming (and frustratingly always delayed) anime version Uzumaki, Ito’s classic series about a town falling apart under a series of spiral-themed curses. It is impressive considering we have only a few minutes of footage from that episode. However, Take a look! You can see how meticulous it is. The animation of a little girl walking down the path is given so much consideration. Also, the compositions are striking. It’s creepy it is even though there’s little actual action. The creative staff should invest much more. It is hoped it will pay off.

Junji Ito Maniac – Japanese Tales of the Macabre Netflix is streaming it now